U.S. to make new diplomatic push on Syria, talk to Iran-officials

WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State John
Kerry will try to launch a new initiative for a political
solution in Syria during meetings in New York in the next week,
starting with talks with his Iranian counterpart on Saturday,
U.S. and other Western officials said.

After backing a United Nations peace process that has failed
to end the Syrian conflict, Kerry will test several ideas for a
new approach during the United Nations General Assembly in New
York in the coming days, the officials said.

The new approach - which officials stressed was in its
infancy - could bring together Russia, a major ally of Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad, Saudi Arabia and countries such as
Turkey and Qatar, which support Syrian opposition groups.

Russia's sudden military build-up this month in support of
Assad and a refugee crisis that has spilled over from the region
into Europe have lent new urgency to attempts to resolve the
Syria conflict.

Three years after the agreement of the Geneva Communiqué, a
document setting out guidelines on Syria's path to peace and a
political transition, the U.N. process has failed to make
headway in brokering an end to the war.

"And so you will get from Secretary Kerry an effort to find
some formula that will get us back to a real substantial
negotiation," a senior U.S. official said.

U.S. Under-Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters
on Friday that Kerry would discuss Syria when he meets Iranian
Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif in New York.

Iran, which has said it is willing to sit down with rivals
to discuss the crisis in Syria, is a staunch ally of Assad that
backs the activities in Syria of Lebanese militant group
Hizbollah, which has given Assad vital support. U.S. officials
acknowledge that to reach a political breakthrough in Syria,
Iran will eventually have to play a role.

"We certainly know there are parallel interests" on Syria,
Sherman said. "There are great political sensitivities in Iran
about having these discussions, perhaps some limits, but it is
important to engage to the extent we can."

Kerry had not wanted to discuss Syria at the same time as
the negotiations on an Iran nuclear deal, which concluded in
July, because he didn't want Tehran to think it could trade
concessions on Syria, U.S. officials said.

The White House said on Thursday that President Barack Obama
and Russian President Vladimir Putin would discuss Syria when
they meet in New York on Monday. Diplomats say the meeting is
critical for a better understanding of Russia's intentions.

One of the biggest obstacles, officials say, will be
agreeing on the future of Assad.

The United States still insists "Assad must go" but has
shown flexibility in recent months over the timing of his
departure. Kerry stated in Europe at the weekend it need not be
on "day one or month one."

Russia has shown signs it is willing to negotiate, but Iran
is Assad's closest ally and

Early indications are that European allies, increasingly
concerned with the refugee crisis, support Kerry's plans.

One European official said: "We fully support the U.N.
process and are looking to explore other avenues, but the
fundamental of 'Assad must go' remains."

SYRIA IN SHREDS

After four years of conflict, Syria is in tatters

The United Nations has said that 250,000 people have been
killed and an estimated 7.6 million are internally displaced.
Four million people are refugees in Syria's neighbors.

Russia's military build-up in Syria has complicated
diplomacy, raising questions about Moscow's intentions and
whether Moscow will cut a deal that sees Assad hand over power.

It has sharpened a debate within the Obama administration
about whether the United States should cooperate with Russia on
Syria. The United States and Moscow share concerns over the
threat posed by Islamic State (IS) militants in Syria, though
the type of military equipment Russia has deployed there has
raised questions over its real focus.

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter spoke with his Russian
counterpart last week, amid concerns that aircraft from the two
sides might accidentally come into contact over Syria. Russian
drone flights so far, however, have not come close to areas
where U.S. jets are flying, officials say.

One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said
Carter was reluctant to start coordinating with Russia's
military without knowing clearly what its objectives are.

There is deep mistrust between Moscow and the United States
following Russia's intervention in Ukraine and annexation of
Crimea, which led to a substantial cut-off in contacts between
the two countries' militaries.

U.S. Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, the commander of U.S.
Army forces in Europe, told Reuters in an interview he believed
there could be high-level dialogue with Russia on Syria, even as
Washington pressured Moscow over Ukraine.

"It's not like all or nothing," Hodges said about diplomatic
contacts between Russia and Washington.

But Hodges cautioned that Russia's role in Syria risked
having a negative effect on the conflict from Washington's
perspective.

"If they're siding with Assad, it's not so that they can
kill IS, it's so they can fight against the anti-regime forces,"
Hodges said.
(Reporting by Lesley Wroughton and Phil Stewart; Editing by
David Storey and Stuart Grudgings)